Ultimate Sweet Potato Recipes: Simple, South Indian And Baked Ideas

I never had a good sweet potato recipe before. Always made the same boring thing. Boil it. Eat it. Done. Then my mother in law visited and she changed everything. Now I make sweet potato all the time. Different ways. Different styles. Some days I want something quick.

Some days I take my time. Some days I make it South Indian style with coconut. Some days I bake it in the oven. It does not matter which way. The sweet potato recipe always comes out good. That is the thing about this vegetable. It is very forgiving. You cannot mess it up. I have tried many times. Burned it. Undercooked it. Added too much salt. It still tastes okay.

So if you are new to cooking, start with this. If you are experienced, you will still learn something. My family loves it. My daughter eats it. My wife approves. That is enough for me. So let me tell you about my favourite sweet potato recipe.

The Simplest Sweet Potato Recipe Ever

We do not need fancy things for this. Take one big sweet potato. Actually take two because one will finish fast. Wash it properly. The skin has dirt and we do not want that in our food.

Now here is the thing my mother taught me. Cut it into even pieces. Not too big. Not too small. Like a medium size only. If pieces are different sizes, some will cook fast and some will not.

• Put a pan on the stove. Medium flame. Add one spoon of oil. Any oil is fine. I use coconut oil because we are South Indian and we like the smell.
• Add the sweet potato pieces. Let them sit for two minutes. Do not move them. We want that brown colour. My son only eats it if it has that brown colour. Very particular he is.
• After two minutes, flip them. Add salt. Not too much. Maybe half a spoon. Then add red chilli powder. One spoon if you like heat. Half spoon if children are eating.
• Now add a pinch of turmeric. This is only for colour. But it looks nice so we add.
• Cover with a lid. Keep the flame low. Let it cook for ten minutes. Go and do something else. Wash the vessels. Check your phone. Whatever.
• After ten minutes, open and check. Poke with a fork. If it goes in easily, it is done. If not, give it five more minutes.

That is it. This is the basic sweet potato recipe that we make at home.

Read More: Easy Breakfast Recipes Under 10 Minutes For Busy Mornings

My Favourite South Indian Sweet Potato Recipes

In our house we do things a little differently. My grandmother was from Kerala. She used to make sweet potato with coconut. Very simple.

• Take the same steps above. But instead of red chilli powder, add green chillies. Two green chillies cut into small pieces. Add grated coconut. One small cup. Mix everything. The coconut gives a different taste.
• My wife likes this version more. She says the coconut makes it feel like a proper South Indian dish. I agree actually.
• There is another South Indian sweet potato recipe that we make for dinner sometimes. We call it sweet potato curry. It is different.
• For this you need onions. Cut one big onion. Put it in the pan first with oil. Cook till it becomes soft. Then add the sweet potato pieces. Add ginger garlic paste. One spoon. Then add turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder.
• Cook this with a little water. Not too much. Just half a cup. Let it boil and become like a thick gravy. This is very nice with chapathi. My wife says it is even better the next day.

This is a proper sweet potato recipes for dinner. It fills you up and it does not make you feel heavy.

Best Baked Sweet Potato Recipe That Even Children Love

I will tell you something. I did not like baked sweet potato first. It was too dry. Then I found a trick.

1. The best baked sweet potato recipe is actually about temperature. Many people get this wrong.
2. You have to bake at high heat. Not medium. High only. I do it at 200 degrees. Preheat the oven for ten minutes.
3. Take your sweet potato. Wash it. Dry it properly. Very important this. If it is wet, it will become soggy.
4. Poke holes with a fork. Four or five holes. This is so steam can escape. I forgot this once and the potato burst in the oven. What a mess it was. My wife still reminds me.
5. Wrap it in foil. Some people do not wrap. But I wrap because it keeps the moisture inside.
6. Put it in the oven for forty five minutes. After that, open the foil. Put it back for five minutes. This makes the skin crisp.
7. Take it out. Cut it from the middle. Put butter. One small piece. It melts inside. Now put a little salt and pepper.

This is the best baked sweet potato recipe I have tried. Even my daughter who does not like anything eats this.

Sweet Potato Recipes For Dinner That Are Quick

Sometimes we come home late and we need food fast. These sweet potato recipes for dinner are perfect.

• The quickest one is the microwave version. Take a sweet potato. Wash it. Poke holes. Put it in the microwave for five minutes. Flip it. Five more minutes.
• Cut it open. Add whatever you have in the fridge. I add leftover dal sometimes. My wife adds cheese. It sounds weird but it works.
• Another dinner idea is sweet potato mash. Boil sweet potatoes. Peel them. Mash with a fork. Add milk. One small cup. Add butter. Salt and pepper. Mix well.

This is so easy. Even children can make this. My daughter makes it herself on weekends now.

What I Learned About Choosing Sweet Potatoes?

• Pick sweet potatoes that are firm. Not soft. If it is soft, it is old. It will not taste good.
• Look at the colour. It should be bright. Not dull. Dull means it has been sitting for long.
• Size matters for cooking. For baking, take big ones. For stir fry, take medium ones. For boiling, any size is fine only.

Storage Tips That Keep Sweet Potatoes Fresh

Do not put them in the fridge. Big mistake this. They become hard and weird.

• Keep them in a cool dry place. Like a basket in the kitchen. Do not put them near the stove. Heat makes them spoil fast.
• Do not wash before storing. Wash only when you are cooking. If they are wet, they will get fungus.
• If you cut extra, put it in a box with a little water. Cover it. It will stay fresh for one day.

Mistakes I Made So You Do Not

I ruined many sweet potato dishes. So you do not have to.

One time I used too much oil. It became like a fry and not a proper dish. Now I use only one spoon.

Another time I did not cook it enough. It was hard and not nice. So now I cook it properly. I always check before taking off the stove.

One more thing. Do not add too much salt. Sweet potato is naturally sweet. Salt balances that. But too much salt ruins the balance.

And do not add water while cooking in a pan. Sweet potato has water inside. It releases water as it cooks. Adding extra water makes it mushy. Only add water if you are making gravy.

Health Things People Ask Me

My father has sweet potato every morning. He is seventy five and still walks three kilometres. Coincidence? Maybe. But he believes it is good.

I will not say it is a magic food. But it is filling. It does not make you hungry soon. That is useful for people who are trying to eat less.

It has fibre. Good for digestion. I noticed that myself. It has vitamins. Many of them actually. But I do not know all names. My wife read somewhere and told me.

You May Also Read: Easy Indian Chicken Curry Recipe in 30 Minutes

How Different People Eat It?

• My mother eats it plain. Just boiled. With salt only. She says that is the real taste.
• My wife likes it with coconut and green chillies. South Indian style.
• My daughter likes the baked version with butter. She eats the skin also.
• My office colleague puts it in salad. Not my thing but he seems to enjoy.

One Final Tip

Here is something nobody tells you. Sweet potato changes colour when it cooks. The orange one becomes deeper orange. The white one becomes yellow. Do not panic. It is supposed to happen.

And if you are making the best baked sweet potato recipe, use a baking tray. Not directly on the oven rack. The juices drip and burn and it smells bad.

Conclusion

So this is what I have learned after making sweet potato so many times. It is not a complicated vegetable. It does not need fancy ingredients. It does not need special techniques. Just some basic things and you get a good dish every time.

The basic pan recipe works for quick meals. The South Indian style with coconut is for when you want something different. The baked version is for when you have time and want something special. The quick microwave is for busy days.

What I like most is that everyone in my family eats it differently. That is the beauty of this vegetable. It adapts to what you like. You can make it spicy. You can make it mild. You can have it for breakfast. You can have it for dinner.

And the best part is the mistakes are fixable. Too spicy? Add some curd while eating. Too plain? Add some chat masala on top. Too dry? Add a little ghee. There is always a solution.

Sweet potato is not just food. For me it is a memory now. I remember my grandmother making it. I remember learning from my mother in law. I remember my daughter making it herself. Good food brings back good memories.

So go ahead and try these recipes. Start with the simplest one first. Then try the others. Experiment a little. Add your own twist. Make it your family recipe.

FAQs

1. Is it necessary to peel sweet potato before cooking?

No, not necessary. The skin is edible and has fibre. I leave it on most times. It also holds the shape better while cooking. Just wash it properly and scrub the dirt off. If you are making mash, then you have to peel it.

2. Why is my sweet potato not getting soft even after cooking long?

This happens sometimes. The sweet potato might be old. Or you might be using high flame. Cook it on low to medium flame only. If it still does not get soft, add a few drops of water and cover it. The steam will help. Also cutting smaller pieces helps them cook faster.

3. Can I make sweet potato recipes for dinner without oil?

Yes you can. Boil or steam it instead of frying. You can also bake it without oil. Just put it directly in the oven with foil. The taste will be different but still good. For the South Indian style, coconut has oil so that will work too.

4. How to store leftover cooked sweet potato?

Put it in a closed box and keep in the fridge. It stays good for two days. Reheat it in a pan or microwave before eating. Do not keep it outside because it will spoil fast. Some dishes like the sweet potato curry actually taste better the next day.

5. Can I use sweet potato in place of regular potato in any recipe?

Not all recipes. Sweet potato has a sweeter taste and more moisture. It works well in curries and stir fries. It does not work well in things like aloo gobi because the taste changes completely. For South Indian recipes, it works beautifully. For baking, it works better than regular potato actually.